


Crying Zeros (And I'm Hearing 111s)

by arborvitae



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Computer Geek!Derek Nurse, Computer Science Class AU, Derek "Nursey" Nurse is Unchill, Don't worry, Jock William Poindexter, M/M, Nerd Derek Nurse, Poet Derek "Nursey" Nurse, there's hockey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 18:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12216603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arborvitae/pseuds/arborvitae
Summary: If Dex gets through his senior year in with a C in his computer science class, he will consider it a success. If this new kid wasn't so pretty and distracting, that would be so much easier to achieve.





	Crying Zeros (And I'm Hearing 111s)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in a long while! Hope y'all enjoy. I'll get a posting schedule up soon, as this is a WIP. 
> 
> Thank you to the Js for encouraging me to do this and C for telling me not to and not getting mad when I did this anyway. 
> 
> Thank you to Ngozi for these amazing characters to enjoy!
> 
> *Tags will be updated as needed.

           This bookstore made Dex’s eyes itch. The entire store was dense and smoky with the scent of burning sage, and it took all he had not to sneeze. It wasn’t his choice to be there; no, he was waiting for Chowder, his so-called best friend, who was taking too fucking long to find the book he needs for his yoga class. _Why does a high school elective yoga class have a required reading? Also, why is Chowder in a yoga class?_ Dex made a mental note to ask these of Chowder, if he ever laid eyes on the boy again.

 

            Dex wandered through the aisles of bookshelves, hoping to find his friend. Right as he turned the corner, a blur with brown hair crashed into him, spilling a tall stack of books and knocking him over. “What just happened?” Dex wondered aloud as he looked up into hazel eyes.   _Wow,_ Dex thought. _This guy has gorgeous eyes. Wait, how am I seeing them this close?_

 

            “Oh, sorry man.” The tan boy who had just landed on top of him awkwardly stood up and offered his hand. Dex put his weight on the bookshelf and righted himself, pointedly not using the stranger’s hand. “You good?” His voice was deeper than Dex would have expected.

 

            “Uh, yeah. Watch where you’re going next time, huh?” He tried to add laughter into his voice to reduce the awkwardness of his words, but he realized he was misinterpreted when the other boy crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

 

            “Chill, dude. It was an accident.”

 

            “I know, _dude._ I didn’t say it wasn’t. And don’t tell me to chill.” _God, could this guy be more condescending? He’s the one who bumped into me_ , Dex thought. The boy bristled and moved towards him, glaring.

 

            “DEEEEEEEX!” A holler echoed through the bookstore, seeming to cut through the tension between the two boys. Chowder came bursting out of nowhere, beaming with a smile full of braces, proudly brandishing a book titled _Yoga for Your Soul_. “Got the book! Want to head out of here?”

           

            “Yeah, let’s go.” Dex brushed past the stranger, making sure he knocked his shoulder into the boy.  
  
            “Who was that?” asked Chowder.

 

            “Dunno,” Dex shrugged. “Don’t think it matters. I’ve never seen him before, so he’s probably not from around here.”

 

            “Not from around here?” Chowder’s entire being perked up excitedly. “Should we go back and introduce ourselves? If he’s new in town-“  
  
            “Chow, I think it’s ok. We’ll probably never see him again.”

 

 

            -------------

 

            Dex did see him again: on the first day of senior year, one week later. The boy was in the halls of the high school, nervously scanning the doorways, obviously looking for a room number. Chowder saw him before Dex, and bee lined over to ask him if he needed help, which he clearly did.

 

            “Hi! My name is Chris Chow, but everyone calls me Chowder because that’s my hockey nickname and I’ve been playing hockey since when, Dex? Five?”

            Chowder didn’t even pause for Dex or the stranger to reply. “Yeah, I think five! Anyway, this is my best friend and co-captain on the hockey team, William Poindexter, but if you call him anything but Dex, his face gets redder than his hair.”

 

          Dex could feel his face heating up exactly like that as the shadow of a smirk appeared on the stranger’s face. He could imagine kissing the smirk off of his face… _Wait, what?_ Dex’s face turned a dark shade of maroon as he banished all of those thoughts and tuned back in to Chowder’s ramble.

 

“-if anyone ever took Mr. Collins seriously, I have a feeling this school would have had a lot fewer chemistry related explosions. Oh, sorry. I’ve been rambling.” The stranger and Dex nodded in unison. “So, I’m Chowder and this is Dex. What’s your name?”

 

            The strangers looked stunned at first, but then he replied, “Derek Nurse. But everyone at Andover, um, everyone at my last school just called me Nursey.”

 

            Chowder beamed. “Nice to meet you, Nursey! What classroom do you need to be shown?”

 

            “Um,” Nursey squinted at his school map. The way his eye creased was adorable. _No, knock it off, Poindexter. Senior Year is about the Cup and graduating. No distractions, especially ones that will basically disqualify me from any hockey scholarship ever. Besides, there’s no way I’m lucky enough that the one cute kid that ever moved to Shithole, Maine would be queer. No fucking way._ “219. The computer lab? It’s my Computer Science class.”

 

            _Chowder, don’t,_ Dex tried to psychically beg. “Oh. My. Gosh!” Chowder exclaimed gleefully. “Dex is in that class, too! He can walk you there! Oh gosh, it’s almost class time. I’m on the other side of the school for AP Government. I’ve gotta run. Great to meet you, Nursey! See you at lunch! Bye Dex!” And with that, Chowder was bounding off down the hall, leaving Dex alone with Nursey.

 

            Dex stood there frozen until Nursey said, “Hey, man. Shouldn’t you show me where the class is? It’s about to start, right?”

 

            “Right,” Dex replied, and he took off down the hall. He didn’t look back once to back sure Nursey was following. When he flopped down in the lab next to his friends Eric and Lardo, he noticed that Nursey sat at a computer far away from everyone else. Dex started to grab his stuff to move to sit nearer to Nursey, but then the teacher walked in and started writing on the board. He’d missed his window.

 

            When they made eye contact at the end of class, Dex tried to smile at him, but Nursey just picked up his bag, and walked out alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy!


End file.
